Transfer valve assembly



Sept. 24, 1957 v. K. sTElDLr-:Y

TRANSFER VALVE ASSEMBLY Filed June 15, 1955 United States Patent OTRANSFER VALVE ASSEMBLY Virgil K. Steidley, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor toGorman- Rupp Industries, Inc., Bellville, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication June 15, 1955, Serial No. 515,701

3 Claims. (Cl. 137-122) This invention relates generally to the valveart and is particularly concerned with a new automatic transfer valveassembly for uses, such as with a washing machine.

In Various industries it is'frequently desirable to transfer a liquidfrom a work tank to a storage tank and later return it to theY workwtankafter a second liquid has been handled in that tank. In this manner thefirst liquid may be stored while the second liquid is being handled inthe work tank and then reused in the work tank. An automatic washingmachine is a good illustration of this use. In such a machine the soapywater may be used more than once if stored during the rinsing operationand thereafter returned to the washing machine.

Various devices have been proposed for this purpose, but each one withwhich I am familiar has possessed some disadvantage. The presentinvention aims to avoid all such disadvantages and accomplishes thispurpose by apparatus which will function automatically, and will serveto discharge one liquid into a storage tank and then to pass anotherliquid through the tank and to a drain or another tank, as desired,without commingling the two liquids.

The present invention will be better understood by reference to thedrawings which accompany and form a part of this specification and inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of appa' ratus embodyingthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the automatic valve portionof the apparatus of F ig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the lower end of the apparatus of Fig.2; and

Fig. 4 shows in cross-section a syphon-breaker in the pipe leading tothe valve of Fig. 2.

In Fig. l portions of a storage tank 1 are shown. This tank is providedwith a stopper 2 for drainage and adja cent to tank 1 is indicatedanother tank 3 also provided with a stopper 2.

A pipe 5 which, in this instance, leads from an automatic washer,extends over the top of tank 1 and is provided near the top of the tank,and above the highest intended level of liquid therein, with a syphonbreaker which is illustrated in Fig. 4. This syphon-breaker includes aninsert 6 in pipe 5, having a passage 7 extending therethrough. A flap 8is fastened to insert 6 and serves to cover the inner end of passage 7when water is being discharged through pipe 5. Since the flap 8 isfastened to the insert only along its upper edge it will swing iuwardlyand open passage 7 :and admit air into pipe 5, whenever a partial vacuumis created in pipe 5. Thus any tendency for the liquid in the tank tosyphon back through pipe 5 will be overcome.

Pipe 5 leads downwardly in tank 1 and at its lower end is fitted onto aninlet pipe 10 which extends into the body 11 of an automatic valve. Thebody of this valve is preferably cylindrical and positioned with itslongitudinal axis in a vertical line which means that the inlet 10 willdeliver water downwardly and at an acute angle to the vertical centerline of body 11. The body 11 is enters body 11 on an acute ice providedwith an elbow fitting 13 at its lower end and this fitting carries avalve seat 14 which is held in place against upward displacement by body11. The valve seat is composed of resilient material, for example,natural or synthetic rubber, is ring-like, and its central opening is ofa size to receive the ball valve 1S and seal against flow of uid intofitting 13. This valve is free to move lengthwise of body 11. Fitting 13is provided with vent holes 16 to admit liquid from the tank into thevalve and aid in moving the valve to the upper end of body 1l.

At its upper end body 11 is provided with an elbow fitting 20 quite likefitting 13 except that it lacks the vent hole 16. This valve rests onthe upper end of body 11 and is restrained against upward movement byfitting 20. The ball valve 15 may be pressed into sealing engagementwith seat 20 by liquid in body 11 to seal the upper end of body 11against egress of liquid.

The lower fitting 13 has a Vhose 25 attached thereto by means of whichliquid may be Iconducted from the fitting to tank 3 or to anotherreceptacle or to a drain as may be desired.

The ball valve 15 is preferably composed of material having lowflotation characteristics. For example, polyethylene, having a specificgravity of about .92 to .93 has been found to be quite satisfactory.Other materials having low fiotation characteristics may be used inmaking ball valve 15. The purpose in using such materials is to providea ball which does not have a pronounced tendency to float. Since onepurpose of the valve is to seal against flow of liquid out throughfitting 13 and to divert the incoming liquid into fitting 20, it isimportant that the force of the incoming liquid should hold the valve onits seat. A ball with high flotation characteristics would tend to risein the body 11 against the force of the incoming water and would thusinterfere with the intended operation of the valve.

The operation of the above-described apparatus is substantially asfollows when used with an automatic washing machine to conserve thesoapy water:

Soapy water discharged from the washing machine through pipe 5 into tank1, which is empty at the beginning of the discharge, will fiow into thebody 11 through inlet 10 and by reason of its force and the lowflotation characteristics of ball valve 15 will result in the latterremaining seated on gasket 14 and in preventing escape of water intolower fitting 13. Since the incoming water angle to its longitudinalcenter line, the turbulence will be low and insufficient to dislodge theball valve from its seat. The incoming soapy water will fill body 11promptly and will flow out through top elbow 20 and into the tank 1.This operation will continue as long as the soapy water is beingdischarged from the washing machine. When the last of the soapy waterhas been discharged from the machine, the water pressure will forcevalve 15 upwardly in body 11 and press it against gasket 14 in tting 20.Coincident therewith soapy water will flow into pipe 25 filling it tothe water level in the tank.

When rinse water has been used in the washing machine and is to bedischarged therefrom, it is discharged through pipe 5, body 11, lowerelbow 13 and through pipe 25 into tank 3. This flow of rinse water willexert upward force on ball 15 holding it on upper seat 14 and will exertdownward force on lower gasket 14 distorting it to cover inlet holes 16.Thus the rinse water will pass through tank 1 and the soapy watertherein without escaping into the soapy water to any pronounced extentand without removing substantial quantities of the soapy water. When therinse water has been discharged from the washing machine, the soapywater may be returned from the tank 1 to the washing machine by a pump(not shown) or any other suitable means.

i Asr the level of the soapy water falls in tank 1, ball valve 15 movesdown with it until it is seated on seat 14 and the device is ready for arepetition of the foregoing cycle. Y Y f While the'present invention hasbeen described in use with water from a washing machine, it is to beunder stood that the invention may be used with water from many othermachines or tanks and also that the invention may be used with manyliquids other than water provided the valve ball and valve seats aremade from materials suitable for use with such liquid to accomplish theabove described operation.

Having thus described the present invention so that those skilled in theart may be able to understand and practice the same, I state that what Idesire to secure by Letters Patent is dened in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A transfer valve assembly for use in storing one liquid in a tank andpassing another liquid therethrough which comprises a valve to bepositioned in a tank and including a hollow upright cylinder having aside wall, outlets at each end and an inlet between the outlets, upperand lower valve seats adjacent to each outlet, a ball of low flotationalcharacteristics in the cylinder to engage with either seat and seal theadjacent outlet against egress of liquid, an outlet conduit connected tothe lower outlet and extending above the surface of any body of liquidin which the valve is positioned, and an inlet conduit connectible to asource of liquid under pressure and extending from above the surface ofany body of liquid in which the valve may be positioned to and connectedwith said inlet, the valve having holes extending through its side wallbelow the lower seat.

2. The combination of elements set forth in claim l in which the inletconduit is provided with a syphon breaker at a place above the surfaceof any liquid in which the valve is positioned and in which the inletconduit extends from below to above the level of said liquid and thendownwardly to said valve.

3. The combination of elements set forth in claim 1 in which the inletis inclined downwardly at an acute angle to the longitudinal center lineof the cylinder.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS600,732 Linke a Mar. l5, 1896 1,105,547 Coftield July 28, 1914 1,629,545Sherman et al. May 24, 1927 1,736,933 Morgan et al Nov. 26, 1929 FOREIGNPATENTS 759,867 France Dec. 6, 1933

